PHENOMENAL BLUES WOMEN IN WORLD WAR 2

By: Dani Wilde

During World War 2, Blues and Jazz music were incredibly popular and many talented women came to the forefront of these genres.

In 1941, America entered the war, and many blues artists whom we now know as household names were drafted. BB King served in the U.S. Army, but was released from duty after being deemed “essential to the war economy” based on his experience as a tractor driver (having grown up working the fields on a Mississippi plantation). Bluesman Jimmy Reed was drafted into the U.S. Navy. Reed was discharged in 1945 and went on to release his hit songs Baby what you want me to do, and Bright lights big city. Elmore James was also drafted into the Navy. In July 1944, he participated as a coxswain, sailing the landing ships during the invasion of Guam (Japan). 51 Navy servicemen lost their lives at Guam, and a further 206 were injured. Thankfully, Elmore James returned safely home to Mississippi in time for Xmas in 1945 and settled with his brother, who owned an electric shop. In this shop, Elmore James created his signature electrical guitar sound; he used parts from the shop, combined with an unusual placement of two DeArmond pickups. And he hotwired his amplifier to achieve a unique powerful and distorted sound.

African American men faced racial discrimination within the WW2 military, including segregation and being given lower rank positions. Despite this, these brave blues-men made important contributions to the war effort before shaping the evolution of blues music in the post-war era.

But how did Blues, Gospel and Jazz Women play a role in WW2?

Let’s explore the wartime contributions of Blues women Alberta Hunter, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Billie Holiday.

Alberta Hunter

When America joined WW2, Alberta Hunter, who was in her forties at the time and already a seasoned blues performer, volunteered her time and talent to help the effort by taking part in bond drives, public events and United Service Organizations (USO) shows both at home and abroad.

The USO put Alberta Hunter in charge of African American Unit 342 – a group of musicians and dancers called The Rhythm Rascals. The Rhythm Rascals travelled to the “forgotten” China-Burma-India (CBI) theatre, becoming the African American entertainers to visit there. Here, American soldiers, 60% of whom were African Americans, were building a a 1,079-mile highway known as ‘the Ledo Road’ through the mountains to aid in the war effort against Japan. The road would become a crucial supply line, enabling Western Allies to deliver supplies to China 1,133 of the soldiers involved in the work would die from enemy attacks, disease, drowning and accidents.

The soldiers were longing for home, and so much excitement was created when the CBI Newspaper announced: “Hepcat “cat” operators and truck drivers who “truck on down” the Ledo Road have a treat in store for them when USO unit No. 32, (sic) an all-Negro revue of sweet, swing and jive music, comes their way for a 22-day stand two weeks hence.”

The performances were greatly received. Hunter became known for her kindness, listening to the soldier’s stories, and bringing them news of home. She encouraged Americans at home to continue to write letters of encouragement to the troops. Hunter continued to tour with the USO for a year including tours of occupied Japan and Korea. Sometimes she performed at small impromptu venues such as in the back of trucks in the jungle with only torches to light the ‘stage’, sometimes to injured servicemen in hospitals and at other times, bases with several thousand troops.

“She was worth waiting for as she cajoled, ‘Talk to me boys.’ For thirty minutes, she sang, stuttered and talked as GIs tore up the benches and yelled for more. Her final number, Basin Street, had every man in the Bowl hanging limply on the ropes as the show closed.”

- Slipstream Newspaper review Alberta Hunter in 1945

After the war, Hunter, who had a passion for helping those less fortunate, trained to become a nurse. She fabricated a high school diploma and lied about her age to undertake the training. She then worked at a New York hospital for 20 years. When Hunter retired, her colleagues thought she was the expected retirement age of 70 – She was actually 82! And at this grand age, she decided to start singing again. Hunter got back in the studio and made four new records. She built up a new, younger fanbase and held a popular residency at Greenwich Village club until her death in 1984.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Sister Rosetta Tharpe was an innovative Gospel Artist and pioneer of Rock & Roll guitar who recorded a number of ‘Victory discs’ during World War 2. V-Discs were double-sided, 78 Records that contained popular songs of the day and songs to inspire morale. They were distributed for free to sol- diers serving in World War II. Often, V-Discs contained spoken-word introductions by musicians wishing good luck and prayers for the troops. In 1943, Glenn Miller introduced a record stating: “This is Captain Glenn Miller speaking for the Army Air Force’s Training Command Orchestra and we hope that you soldiers of the Allied forces enjoy these V-Discs that we’re making just for you.”

In 1938, at the age of 23, Sister Rosetta Tharpe rose to fame having released four sides for Decca Records backed by Lucky Millinder’s jazz orchestra. She had a fantastic voice but could more than match her vocal abilities with her virtuosic guitar skills. In this era, flashy guitar playing was seen as a masculine trait, and Tharpe was often offered the intended compliment that she could “play like a man. ” This she did on her hit song “Rock Me”, which would influence the likes of Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley, paving the way for Rock and Roll over a decade ahead of its time! She also inspired post war electric blues stars.

During the war, Tharpe’s music would be played on the Armed Forces Radio Service’s Jubilee broadcasts. She was one of only two gospel artists to record V-discs (The Golden Gate Quartet being the other). One of her V-Disc recordings was a version of her hit song Rock Me. The lyrics of the uplifting gospel track brought comfort and hope to US troops serving away from home:

“You hold me in the bosom Till storms of life is over Rock me in the cradle of our love”

Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday performed 9 songs for the V-Disc war programme which were greatly appreciated by troops overseas. Holiday helped to draw attention to the issues of racism and discrimination in the military and in society. In her autobiography she spoke about her most famous song ‘Strange Fruit’ which is about lynchings and racism in the Southern States of America:

“It reminds me of how Pop died,” she said of the song. “But I have to keep singing it, not only because people ask for it, but because 20 years after Pop died, the things that killed him are still happening in the South.”

Holiday’s father Clarence had fought for his country in WW1 where he was exposed to mustard gas. This caused him to develop a severe lung disorder. After the war, he was turned away whilst in desperate need from his local hospital because he was a Black man. He was finally admitted to the Jim Crow ward of a Veterans Hospital, but by then his pneumonia had worsened and with- out antibiotics, his illness had become fatal. Two years later, Billie Holiday would begin to perform “Strange Fruit” in her father’s memory.

During World War 2, there were a few popular songs that perfectly captured the mood of the time. One of the most notable was “I’ll Be Seeing You,” which was famously recorded by Bing Crosby, Jo Stafford and many others; however my favourite version was sung by Jazz and Blues great Billie Holiday. The song became an anthem of the war, portaying the reality of wartime separations and loss.

“I’ll be Seeing You” was composed by songwriting duo Sammy Fain and Irving Kahle in 1938 for a Broadway musical comedy called “Right This Way. When war struck, the lyrics of separation and loss took on a far greater meaning as soldiers and civilians said their goodbyes. Young evacuees also said their goodbyes as they left their families and cities. Many were apart for years, and many never made it back to each other. With nearly a million American and British lives lost, this heartfelt ballad struck a chord with so many in the war era, who related on a deep level to the lyrics.

“I’ll be seeing you

In all the old familiar places

That this heart of mine embraces

All day through

In that small cafe

The park across the way

The children’s carousel

The chestnut trees

The wishing well

I’ll be seeing you

In every lovely summer’s day

In everything that’s light and gay

I’ll always think of you that way

I’ll find you in the morning sun

And when the night is new

I’ll be looking at the moon

But I’ll be seeing you”

Holiday’s interpretation is especially emotive with her quivering melancholy vibrato. Today, “I’ll Be Seeing You” is considered a classic, and Holiday’s version is widely regarded as one of the best. Her ability to infuse a song with raw emotion and her distinctive voice made her one of the greatest jazz singers of all time.

Alberta Hunter, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Billie Holiday used their music to bring people together, to lift spirits, and to inspire change. Their impact on the world of blues, gospel and jazz music is still felt today, and their legacy is an important reminder of the power of music to connect us all, even in the midst of war.